We cancelled our New York Times and Wall Street Journal microfilm subscriptions a few years ago – we just could not afford to maintain them. I know a lot of other libraries are doing the same. The rising prices of microfilm and shrinking budgets of libraries make me wonder whether the current model of preserving newspapers on microfilm is sustainable.
I’ve been thinking about the whole process of microfilming from paper copies. I sometimes hear from microfilm vendors that delivery of film is delayed due to a delay in receipt of the actual papers from the publishers. And filming from the paper copies is pretty time consuming. Our library has been thinking about writing digital files to film. I know nothing about newspaper publishing, but it seems like there must be some sort of digital file used to create the print edition, and could those files (or other files derived from them) be used to create master microfilm more quickly and efficiently? Has anyone heard whether any of the big film vendors (like ProQuest, Heritage, Newsbank, Advantage seems to be growing – at least in Alaska) are creating master microfilm from digital files? Maybe some of them monitor this list and will reply. How feasible would it be for a microfilmer to create master microfilm from digital files? If it is feasible, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches?
It could be that I’m just way behind the times and all of these questions have been raised and answered (wouldn’t be the first time).
Thanks for your thoughts!
Katie Fearer
Public Services Librarian
Alaska State Library
From: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG] On Behalf Of Lynne Weaver
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2015 11:15 AM
To: SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG
Subject: [SERIALST] newspapers on microfiche
Just venting here. We receive both New York Times and Wall Street Journal in microfiche from ProQuest. They are not cheap -- $6800 and $4400 (rounded figures for2014) respectively. I just called to find out why the last received of these is October 1-15 of New York Times and August of Wall Street Journal. I was told that: 1. ProQuest has to wait for shipments of issues from the publishers; 2. These (all the rest of 2014, I hope) have just been received by ProQuest; 3. Production takes four weeks; and 4. Once produced and shipped, I can expect to wait four to six weeks for delivery.
The earliest I can expect any of this, then, is late March to mid-April. That’s almost a six-month delay for some of the New York Times, and seven months for some of the Wall Street Journal. Not happy. My customer service rep was very nice, sympathetic, apologetic, and willing to pass my complaints along, but I’m pessimistic about it doing much good. If any of the rest of you would like to call them to chime in on this, perhaps it could help the situation. Maybe.
Yours, discouraged,
Lynne Weaver
Serials Coordinator
Lipscomb Library
434 947-8396 Phone 434 947-8134 Fax
Randolph College
Founded as Randolph-Macon Woman's College in 1891
2500 Rivermont Avenue
Lynchburg, VA 24503
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